“Almost Bare” — A tightly-packed grove of almost-bare aspen trees.
This photograph combines two types of subjects that fascinate and challenge me — post-color aspens and finding compositions in complexity. While the intense colors of peak-autumn aspen leaves are undeniably appealing, I also like the stage right after that when most of the leaves are gone and the skeletal white trunks are fully revealed. I also enjoy the challenge of trying to figure out how to photograph extremely complex and detailed subjects like this dense grove of small trees.
“Aspen Row” — A row of colorful autumn aspen trees in an Eastern Sierra canyon.
Timing is everything when it comes to photographing fall aspen color in the Sierra Nevada. (Well, OK, some location knowledge helps, too…) The most basic element is determining when the color peaks. That can be complicated, as it varies depending on elevation, the type of terrain, and the weather. And, to be honest, there’s almost always a bit of luck involved. When I search for color I rely on a lot of hunches based on past experience and observations of current conditions.
Following our Cotswolds walk we stayed in Bath for four days. Bath was quite a contrast to the previous week walking through the hilly rural and agricultural countryside. Bath is, and long has been, a place that many visit — for the actual baths, for the architecture, and for the city’s history. With four days there we had plenty of time to look around, and we spent a good long time wandering the Abbey.
I “discovered” these formations years ago while searching for autumn aspen color in mountains east of the Sierra Nevada. I was at a location where I have frequently photographed dense groves of small trees. As I photographed them in soft morning light — they are on the shaded side of a ridge — I noticed this fascinating terrain dropping towards Mono Basin.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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